Tilting mikror for continuous towel



April 1953 E. MATHEWS TILTING MIRROR FOR CONTINUOUS TOWEL CABINETS FiledOct. 19. 1951 INVENTOR EnwAao L. MATHEWS ATTORNEYS mag-pm Patented Apr.2 8, 1953 TILTIN G MIRROR FOR CONTINUOUS TOWEL CABINETS Edward L.Mathews, Norfolk, Nebr.

Application October 19, 1951, Serial No. 252,093

3 Claims.

This invention relates to continuous towel cabinets, of the type whereina cabinet is mounted upon the wall of a room, and is adapted to containan elongated, rolled, cloth towel, successively following clean portionsof which are withdrawn from the cabinet by successive users.

More particularly, the invention has reference to a tilting mirroradapted to be incorporated in a cabinet of the type stated.

A cabinet for dispensing rolled toweling is conventionally mounted upona Wall surface so that the bottom end of the cabinet is approximatelyshoulder high. This has been found to be the optimum position for users,the position being one which enables the user to dry his or her handsand face with maximum ease.

Many cabinets of the character referred to are provided with mirrors.However, it is obvious that if the bottom of the cabinet is shoulderhigh, and if as is customary the entire lower half of the cabinet iscovered by the toweling being dispensed therefrom, a mirror mounted uponthe upper half of the cabinet will generally be located at too great aheight for convenient use. Only tall persons, accordingly, can availthemselves of the mirror mounted upon the cabinet.

It is accordinglyan important object of the present invention to providea tilting mirror construction adapted to be embodied in a rolledtoweling dispensing cabinet, and so mounted and arranged relative to thecabinet as to be usable by persons of average or less than averageheight.

Another important object is to provide a tilting mirror attachment asstated which can be substituted for the mirror already provided upon thecabinet, without requirement of modification or redesigning of thecabinet.

Still another important object is to provide a tiltingmirror as statedwhich can be manufactured at relatively low cost, and can be mountedupon the dispensing cabinet in a minimum time.

A further important object is to provide a tilting mirror as statedwhich will be durable, rugged, and substantially tamper-proof.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claimsappended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views, andwherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of acabinet for dispensing rolledtoweling equipped with a tilting mirror attachment formed in accordancewith the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the frontportion of the cabinet, taken on line 2-2 of Figure l; and g Figure 3 isan exploded perspective view of the mentarily.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a conventionally constructedcabinet I0 is illustrated, the

cabinet being of a type used for dispensing rolled toweling and beinggenerally mounted upon the wall of a room at shoulder height, asillustrated in Figure 1.

conventionally, the cabinet in is provided with a mirror attachmentdisposed in a vertical plane, the conventional mirror not being shown.vSuch a mirror is provided with rearwardly extending ears extendedthrough horizontal top and bottom rows of slots l2, and through sideslots formed in the front Wall of the cabinet II].

In accordance with the present invention, the conventional verticallyarranged mirror is removed, exposing the horizontal and vertical rows ofslots l2. Then, a support is secured to the front wall of the cabinetIt], said support being formed from a single piece of metal materialbent to shape, and including a top plate [4 disposed in a horizontalplane and formed to a generally elongated, rectangular configuration asbest shown from Figure 3.

The top plate M is formed, along its rear edge, with a plurality ofspaced, rearwardly extending ears [6 adapted to be inserted inthe toprow of slots [2 of the dispensing cabinet It.

Formed upon the front edge of the top plate I l, and extending from endto end of said top plate, is a top backing flange l8, which is bentdownwardly from the blank of metal material from which the support isformed, and is disposed at an acute angle to the top plate M, as bestshown from Figure 2. The top backing flange I3 is formed with aplurality of slots 20, for a purpose to be made presently apparentIntegral with the top plate [4 at opposite ends of said top plate, andextending downwardly from the top plate at right angles thereto, areside plates 22 of triangular ordownwardly tapering formation. The sideplate 22 at one side of the support has-a rearwardlyextending ear 24disposed adjacent its upper edge, said ear 2d ex tending from the backedge of the side plate associated therewith and being receivable in aside slot of the cabinet [0. The other side plate 22 has an ear 24disposed near its lower end- (see Figures 2 and 3), the 'ear 24 of thesecond side plate being. extended through a suitable slot formed in thecabinet III, in the same manner as the ear 24 at theopposite side of themirror support.

Formed upon the front edges of the respective side plates 22 are sidebacking flanges 26, said backing flanges 26 being arranged at rightangles to their associated side plates, so as to be coplanar with thetop backing flange :8 and hence disposed, together with said top backingflange, in a plane inclined from the vertical.

In the respective side backing flanges 26, slots 28 are formed.

The top and side flanges, and the associated top and side plates it and22, cooperate to provide a mirror support generally designated 2-9, saidmirror support being adapted for mounting upon the front wall of acabinet it as a substitute for the mirror attachment conventionallyprovided upon such a cabinet.

Attachable to the mirror support 29 is a rectangular mirror frame 30,having a peripheral inwardly extended retaining flange 32. Formedintegrally with the topand bottom portions of the mirror frame 3d, andextending rearwardly from the mirror frame, are ears 34, extendablethrough the slots 26 and through the bottom row of slots I2 of thecabinet respectively, so as to secure the mirror frame to its associatedsupport and cabinet.

After the cars 3 are extended through the slots 20 and if, said ears arebent downwardly as illustrated in Figure 2, so as to fixedly connect themirror frame to the support 29 and cabinet l8.

Formed upon the side portions of the mirror frame 30, and extendingrearwardly therefrom, are side cars 35, receivable in the slots 28 ofthe side backing flanges 26 of the mirror support 29. After the ears 136are extended through the slots 28, they are bent laterally, so as tocooperate with the ears 34 in effecting a rigid connection between themirror frame and its associated support.

When the mirror frame is secured to the support as in the mannerdiscussed above, the peripheral retaining flange 32 of said mirror framewill be disposed in an inclined plane parallel to and spaced slightlyforwardly from the inclined plane in which the backing flanges i8, 26lie. A mirror 38 is disposed in the space between said parallel planes,so as to be supported against the backing flanges, while being heldagainst intentional or accidental separation from the mirror frame bythe peripheral retaining flange 32.

I believe it will be obvious that after the mirror is mounted in themanner discussed above, it will be so disposed as to be readilyaccessible to persons of average or less than average height, asdistinguished from vertically disposed mirrors generally provided uponcabinets of the character described, which are available only to personsof considerable height.

It is also believed to be an important characteristic of the inventionthat the device illustrated and described is readily substituted for themir-' rors conventionally provided upon cabinets of the characterreferred to, without modification or redesigning of said cabinets, theconstruction which I have devised being one which permits thesubstitution to be carried out with ease and considerable speed.Further, once the device is mounted upon a dispensing cabinet in themanner described, it will be secured permanently to said cabinet, andwill not be readily removed by tamperers.

It is believed clear that the invention is not necessarily confined tothe specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may beutilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the inventionto'be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated anddescribed, since such construction is only intended to be illustrativeof the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carryout said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehendsany minor changes in construction that may be permitted Within the scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

i. In a tilting mirror attachment mountable upon a dispensing cabinethaving a vertical front wall in which a plurality of slots is formed, asupport having a back edge extending in a vertical plane and adapted toengage said front wall throughout its length, said support having afront edge disposed throughout its length in a plane inclined from thevertical; ears spaced longitudinally of said back edge and extendinglaterally therefrom for extension through said slots to secure thesupport to said front wall, the front edge of said support having aplurality of slots spaced longitudinally thereof mirror-retaining meansincluding a generally rectangular, open frame having rearwardlyextending ears spaced peripherally thereof and extendible through theslots of the support to secure the frame to the support in parallelismwith the inclined front edge of the support; flanges on the front edgeof said support and on said frame respectively, said flanges beingarranged in parallel, inclined planes; and a mirror held between saidflanges in an inclined position parallel to the planes in which theflanges are disposed.

2. As an article of manufacture to be mounted upon a towel dispensingcabinet having a vertical front wall, said wall having horizontal topand-bottom slots, a tilting mirror attachment comprising a supporthaving a back edge ex-- tending in a vertical plane and adapted forengagement throughout its length with said front wall, said supporthaving a front edge disposed throughout its length in a plane inclinedfrom the vertical; ears spaced longitudinally of said back edge andextending laterally therefrom for extension through the slots of saidtop row to secure the support to the front wall of the cabinet, thefront edge of the support having a plurality of slots spacedlongitudinally thereof; mirror-retaining means including a generallyrectangular, open frame havingrearwardly extending ears spacedlongitudinally of its top and bottom edges, the ears of the top edges ofthe frame extending through the slots of the support and the ears of thebottom edge extending through the bottom row of slots of the cabinet, tosecure the frame to the cabinet and support respectively, in parallelismwith the inclined front edge of the support; flanges on the front edgeof said support and on said frame respectively, said flanges beingarranged in parallel,

in an inclined position parallel to the planes in which the flanges aredisposed.

3. As an article of manufacture to be mounted upon a towel dispensingcabinet having a vertical front wall, said wall having verticallyspaced, horizontally extending top and bottom rows of slots and spacedside slots, a tilting mirror attachment comprising: a support formedfrom a single blank of material shaped to include a plates integral withanddepending from the op posite ends of the top plate and having'earsinclined planes; and a mirror held between said flanges extending fromtheir rear edges engageable in the side slots, the rear edges of the topand side plates being disposed in a common, vertical plane,

flanges; and a mirror disposed in the space between the retaining andbacking flanges in an inclined plane parallel to the planes of theretaining and backing flanges.

EDWARD L. MATHEWS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,631,193 Eustis June 7, 1927 1,883,834 Turner Oct. 18, 19321,908,147 Hoegger May 9, 1933 2,142,321 Maley Jan. 3, 1939 2,469,923Jones May 10, 1949

